What I See From the Clouds
by Viral
Summary: Ororo reflects on Scott and Jean's growth as X-Men and their relationship and inadvertently reveals Rogue's disdain and jealousy.


**Title: **What I See From the Clouds

**Author: **Viral

-=-=-=-

It's early in the morning and I am the only one awake, with the exception of the Professor. This is the time of day where I do my gardening, as to not be interrupted by the students here at the Institute. I must admit, having more people around does make the mansion a more active and exciting place to be, but some of these new recruits are quite destructive.

But it is a beautiful morning and I will not ruin it by complaining. I will think of all the beautiful things in life such as the flowers I am now watering. Outside of the Institute, on the east, is my private garden. The pathway is made of red brick and is lined with roses and tulips. Further back are more exotic plants with bright, radiant colors. That is beauty.

However, these flowers aren't the only beautiful things growing here at the mansion. There is of course the undeniable relationship of Scott and Jean. Ever since they were revealed as mutants to the entire county of Westchester and the town of Bayville, they have clanged to each other. If I had not been here from the beginning I would guess that their relationship wouldn't last a moment's crisis... but I've seen them grow... I've seen them grow in more ways than one...

_"C'mon Lance, throw me everything you've got!" Scott yelled furiously. The young X-Men and the Brotherhood were at it again, pounding each other on a secluded part of school property now turned into a battlefield. Scott was dressed in his normal sweater with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his right hand ready to take off the shades that kept his powers at bay._

  


"You asked for it Summers!" Lance said angrily as his eyes rolled to the top of his head and the ground around the two began to shake. Lance remained unaffected by the rolling of the ground, but Scott quickly fell and Lance showed no mercy. The rumbling concrete ground began to rise in mounds and hills as they loomed over Scott who was still unstable enough to notice what was going on. The concrete was ready to bury him as snow would do someone in a natural avalanche, but his natural born instincts helped him out. He removed his shades and the concrete was divided into hundreds of smaller pieces.

  


Lance, however, did not stop. He was not deterred; and with another deep inhale the ground began to shake even more momentously, causing the walls around them to begin caving. Scott only had a few moments to react, and so he did. He removed the shades from his eyes and a bright ray of light immediately shot from them, hitting Lance in the chest and causing him to fly backwards. I could only imagine the burn that now singed his chest, making him yell in pain until Scott closed his eyes. Lance lay against the unstable wall with smoke rising from his chest and groans from his vocal chords.

Scott will one day make a great leader for the X-Men. He is constantly growing as a tactician, always trying new plans and strategies to beat his enemies when it's necessary. He is able to act quickly and respond to his surroundings as they change. This will make him a great leader, one day. However, he does have one weakness: Jean.

_Mesmero was back on the scene, and this time he wasn't working for Apocalypse. He had a grudge against the X-Men that needed to be settled and he had a great strategy. Why not use the X-Men against themselves? He decided to use Jean._

  


The battle had been raging for almost an hour. I was with the Professor watching as everything unfolded on the Blackbird's --- X-Jet's cameras. The Professor and I were returning from a trip to Muir Island, visiting his friend Moira McTaggert. Wolverine had already been taken down. A simple mental bolt to his head had defeated the growling menace. Jean had also taken care of much of the other members of the team including Hank, Rogue, Kitty, Kurt, and Bobby. The other members were trapped inside the mansion – all except for Scott. He was the X-Men's last hope... at least until the Professor and I could get there.

  


"Jean listen to me!" he pleaded. "You have to fight Mesmero! You have to fight his powers!" He was dressed in battle attire: the traditional navy blue and yellow. His ruby quartz visor showed no sign of aggression.

  


Through all his pleading, Jean did not verbally respond. She simply lifted her hand and a telekinetic force sent Scott flying across the yard, knocking him into a tree and ripping at his uniform. "Jean!" he yelled through his entire trip across the lawn. When he finally fell back to the ground he was grunting and a thick patch of blood could be seen on the back of his uniform. But he still wasn't going to fight her. "Jean! Fight Mesmero's control!" She lifted her hand towards him again and began constricting his lungs. He fought for breath and pounded his fists on the ground, but to no avail.

  


He looked up to see Rogue was back on her feet and quickly coming behind Jean with an ungloved hand. His eyes widened as Rogue's hand neared Jean's face. Suddenly Jean's attention turned towards the goth. Jean gave the girl a telekinetic smack across the face, causing blood to spew from her mouth. But at least Scott could breathe again. He watched as Jean began to twist the Rogue's body in all different patterns and directions, but he still could not bring himself to attack Jean.

  


If it were not for our, the Professor and I, arrival back at the Institute Rogue would probably be dead this very day. I exited the jet while it was still in flight and hovered in the air slightly under the clouds. I pinpointed my attack, making sure that everything was in order. My white hair gently flapped with the wind as my blue eyes turned completely white, signifying that my mutant abilities were in use. I stretched my arms out and at my fingertips lightning began to bounce backward and forward. A simple lightning bolt crashed into Jean's body, releasing Rogue from her grip, and causing Jean to violently shake on the ground. Scott immediately ran to her body, forgetting that Rogue had indeed sacrificed her own safety to save him.

Of course the battle raged on between Mesmero and the Professor, but those events bring me to my next point. Rogue. Rogue is quite a troubled young lady. First off her mind is unstable. See, she has the ability to absorb the life force of other people by skin-to-skin contact. However, her when she touches others she also absorbs their mind, their memories, their pain. For this reason she is very much a pessimist.

As you have witnessed she sacrificed her own well being to save Scott's life. One might be able to excuse this as an act of friendship, courage, or the duty of a teammate. However, this is not the only time it has happened and Rogue has made it very clear that she has feelings for Scott Summers. For this reason it is obvious that Rogue has a personal disliking for Jean. For example, I remember the time when...

_"This whole X-Men thing is just to much for me," Rogue said. "But Ah don't have nowhere else to go anyway. Why the heck should Ah complain?" The two of us were sitting on the Institute's roof, watching as the sun set and conversing about the recent events in X-Men history._

  


"Perhaps you should get away for a little while," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You do know I will be taking a few of the students here at the Institute on a cruise. Perhaps you should join us?"

  


"If it's alright with you, Ah'll pass," she said, hanging her head. "Ah just ain't ready to be around a whole buncha people, much less on a cruise where everybody's smiling and happy."

  


I left the subject alone and the two of sat in silence except for the whoosh a gentle breeze that swept across the area. The complacent atmosphere stayed until Scott and Jean arrived in the mansion's circular driveway. Scott's loud sports car caused both Rogue and myself to look down and see what was going on. The car turned off before Scott and Jean got out and met each other by the trunk of the car.

  


"Thanks for the ride," Jean said bashfully, blushing as she looked into Scott's sunglasses.

  


"No problem," he said, a half-smile on his face as he shyly stared into her green eyes. It was an awkward moment for the both of them; a moment that only high school sweethearts get to share.

  


"Oh... well... I need to get my stuff out of the trunk," Jean said, gently biting her lower lip as she put a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Scott instinctively helped her, placing his hand against her face as he bent down slightly and Jean stood on her toes. The two joined for an embrace and kiss. I looked over to Rogue who scoffed in disgust and went back inside the mansion. It was more than apparent that she had feelings for Scott.

I believe, however, that Scott and Jean are meant to be. The chemistry they have for each other is undeniable. It's more apparent how much they belong together when they are apart. Whenever Jean is sent off on a mission and Scott is left behind he sinks into depression, waiting only for Jean's voice and the scent of Victoria Secret's Peach Passion to once again be in his arms.

Likewise, Jean also acts very odd when Scott is away. She obsessively does chores around the mansion, repeatedly. Every time Scott leaves the mansion for an extended period of time we all expect Jean to toil away in the kitchen until is completely spotless. Even more strange behavior ensues when Rogue enters the kitchen. Jean knows how Rogue feels about Scott, and she normally tries to ignore Rogue when she's around as to not stir any controversy. However, the Rogue tends to be confrontational when Scott is gone. She sits on the counters and sloppily eats buttered toasts with jelly. Crumbs and jelly fall on the floors and counter and I have seen, more than once, a yelling contest between the two.

However, the awkward relationship of Rogue and Jean is one to be discussed another day.

I doubt there is anyone in this entire mansion that could deny the chemistry between Jean and Scott. They are like sodium and chlorine. They are attracted to each other, grabbing a piece of the other and joining to form a new substance. In the case of sodium and chlorine it makes table salt; in the case of Scott and Jean the compound they form is called affection.

I imagine I could say plenty more about their relationship and how it has grown and flourished even through such trials as Taryn and Duncan Matthews. Even through the persecution of humans against mutants. Even through the laughter and ridicule of Kitty and Kurt. Their future together is set in stone. I imagine, as with any relationship, there is rocky road ahead... but Scott and Jean belong together. They are meant to be.


End file.
